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Spock's Brain (episode)
The Enterprise is raided by an alien force, who steal Spock's brain, leading Kirk and McCoy in a desperate race to retrieve it. Summary Teaser on the bridge]] takes Spock's brain]] ]] The crew of the encounters a ship that is being propelled by ion drive, something that Scotty finds particularly interesting. Soon though, a strange woman from that ship appears on the bridge and renders everyone unconscious. She slips deliberately amongst the crew until she finds Spock. Mysteriously, she presses her hand against the first officer's head. Act One When the crew awakes, they find that Spock is missing from the bridge. Dr. McCoy calls Captain Kirk down to sickbay, where he finds Spock on a biobed. McCoy struggles to explain that, somehow, Spock's brain has been surgically removed, leaving the body alive but on full life support. Kirk proposes to find Spock's brain, but McCoy warns that the unique properties of Vulcan physiology give them only 24 hours to reintegrate mind and body. The Enterprise uses the bulk of those hours following an ion trail to the Sigma Draconis system. Chekov places a schematic of the system on the viewscreen, pointing out that there are three Class M planets. With only eight hours remaining to save Spock, Kirk has time to visit only one of the planets before Spock's body expires, so he holds an informal staff meeting with Chekov, Sulu and Uhura to arrive at a decision. None of them seems capable of supporting interstellar flight, but Uhura finds large, regular energy pulsations on the otherwise glaciated and pre-industrial Sigma Draconis VI. The unlikely world thus becomes Kirk's best hunch. Act Two , Scotty and Kirk meet a Morg]] Kirk, Scotty, Chekov and two redshirts beam down to the surface. There, they detect five large, primitive male humanoids. Following an ambush, they subdue one of the humanoids with a phaser. The humanoid, a Morg, is confused because Kirk and Scott do not seem like "the Others", whom he describes as giving "pain and delight." Kirk is puzzled because the Morg does not understand what it means to have a mate nor does he seem to understand what a female is. Chekov finds evidence of an underground city with his tricorder. Scott finds food and weapons stored in a cave, but Kirk sees that there is a sensor and surmises that the cave is a trap the Eymorg use to capture the natives. McCoy beams down with Spock, whom he has fitted with a remote-controlled device to substitute for his brain. They allow themselves to be captured. Chekov and the redshirts remain aboveground; Chekov uses his phaser to heat a rock to help them stay warm. In the underground city, they encounter "the Others" – a race of beautiful females, the Eymorg, who live in comfort below the surface of the planet, but have the minds of children. Captain Kirk finds that he is able to establish contact with Spock's brain by using his communicator. He reports that he is well but that he does not know where he is. They find the woman they saw on board the Enterprise immediately before Spock's brain was removed, who renders them unconscious. They are taken prisoner. Act Three ]] , home to Spock's brain]] ]] When the away team comes to, they find that they have been outfitted with silver belts that have large, round green devices at the abdomen. Kirk demands to know what has happened to Spock's brain, but the Eymorg do not understand what a brain is or what is the Enterprise. Finally they understand that the "Controller" the Eymorg speak of is Spock. It seems that these women have somehow connected Spock's brain into their computer and that his brain is responsible for running their expansive underground dwelling because they, as a race, have long forgotten how to take care of themselves. Having been left alone, McCoy, Scott, and Kirk incapacitate the guards. Kirk speaks to Spock using the communicator. They inform him that his brain has been removed and it is being used as some sort of controller. Spock reports that he has a body that stretches into infinity and his medulla oblongata seems to be breathing, pumping blood, and maintaining temperature. Spock suggests that the project to restore his brain might be impractical; he would trust McCoy to remove a splinter but the knowledge to replace his brain does not exist in the universe. Kirk, however, insists that if the knowledge exists to remove his brain, there must be knowledge to put it back. He instructs Spock to send out a signal so that they may find where he is being kept. Spock complies. As they make their way to the chamber, Kirk asks about the belts. Spock accesses the information: one must press a red button on a bracelet in order to release the belt. They enter the chamber where Spock's brain is kept, but an Eymorg is in the chamber and activates the pain belt. Kirk uses the remote control device to use Spock's body to grab Kara's bracelet and press the red button, releasing the belts. With the crew freed, Kara pleads that Spock's brain may remain connected or their civilization will die. Kirk tells Spock that he is in a black box connected by light rays to a control panel. He wonders if the sensations he is feeling means that Spock is recirculating air, running heating plants, and purifying water. Kirk asks Kara how she was able to remove Spock's brain by placing on her head a device known as the "teacher". They place it on her head, and she suddenly speaks with erudition. She admits that she does have the knowledge, but she also now knows to use a phaser, which she points at Kirk. It is set to kill. Act Four Kara and Kirk debate over the proper disposition of Spock's brain. Scott pretends to faint and distracts Kara; they take the phaser from her. She says that the teacher will provide knowledge for three hours, which McCoy says would be long enough to effect the transplant, but she refuses to perform the operation. McCoy points out that he has medical knowledge and should be able to use what he already knows and retain the knowledge. McCoy places the teacher on his head and receives the knowledge; when he recovers, he says "Of course; of course. A child could do it. A child could do it." McCoy is able to use the same knowledge to put back Spock's brain as was used to remove it. However, after a time, McCoy begins to lose the knowledge he has gained. He exclaims in despair, "I am trying to thread a needle with a sledgehammer!" Drawing on his own skills, he connects Spock's vocal cords so that Spock is able to speak, and is able to assist in completing the reconnection of his brain to the rest of his body. "I'll never live this down," McCoy says, "this Vulcan is telling ''me how to operate." When Spock is restored, he makes a speech that explains the history of this retrograde civilization and the split of the genders. Kirk jokingly tries to use the remote control device to try and turn Spock off. Log Entries *''Captain’s log, stardate 5431.4. For 15 hours and 20 minutes, we have been following the ion trail of the spaceship that has Spock's brain. Time left to us - eight hours and 40 minutes. '' *''Captain’s log, stardate 5431.5. We are beaming down to a primitive glaciated planet in the Sigma Draconis star system. Time left to us to find Spock's brain - eight hours and 29 minutes. '' *''Captain’s log, stardate 5431.6. Immediately after making contact with Spock's brain, Dr. McCoy, Engineer Scott and myself were taken prisoner inside a highly complex civilization hundreds of meters below the surface of planet Sigma Draconis VII. The primitive creature we encountered above warned us about the givers of pain and delight and the frightening consequences of being captured by them. '' *''Ship's log. Lieutenant Sulu recording. I am holding the Enterprise in orbit about planet Sigma Draconis VII. Captain Kirk's hunch that Spock's brain is on this planet appears to be correct. Ensign Chekov remains on the surface to act as liaison between the captain and the Enterprise. '' *''Captain’s log, stardate 5432.3. Dr. McCoy is proceeding to restore Spock's brain. Our problem - we do not know how long his increased surgical knowledge will stay with him. Any additional attempt to use the teaching device is impossible. It would kill my medical officer. '' *''Captain’s log, supplemental. Our race against time to save Spock's life may have been futile. Dr. McCoy has lost the surgical knowledge he obtained from the Teacher. He has been drawing on his own skills and surgical techniques in an attempt to continue the operation. But he is faltering and uncertain. In a desperate hope that he can draw on Spock's brain for assistance, I instructed Dr. McCoy to give priority to connecting Spock's vocal chords. '' Memorable Quotes "''His brain is gone!" : - McCoy "We'll have to take him with us." "Take... Take him where?" "In search of his brain, doctor." : - Kirk and McCoy about Spock "Jim! Where are you going to look in this whole galaxy? Where are you going to look for Spock's brain? How are you gonna find it?" "I'll find it" : - McCoy and Kirk "Brain and brain! What is brain?" : - Kara "I'll never live this down, this Vulcan is telling ''me how to operate!" : - '''McCoy' "A child could do it." : - McCoy "Call Chekov and tell him to send my stomach down." :- McCoy, after rapidly descending into the interior of Sigma Draconis VI in an elevator. "I knew it, I should never have done it!" "What?" "I never should have reconnected his mouth." "Well, we took the risk."' : - McCoy and Kirk "The Controller is young and powerful and perfect!" "How very flattering." : - Kara and Spock Background Information in a unique way]] * Story outline , filmed in mid-July. * This episode was the third season premiere. * This was the last episode to be directed by regular Trek director Marc Daniels. * Writer 'Lee Cronin' is a pseudonym of former writer/producer Gene L. Coon. * This is the only time in the series a rear-projected, moving image is placed on the viewscreen. This allows the actors to walk in front of it and adds realism. In all other episodes, if there is not an image matted into the viewscreen, then the screen is blank or contains a painted, static star field. * Nurse Chapel's collapse to the floor was recycled in . * Though Sulu is in command and recording his only log entry in TOS, he calls the planet Sigma Draconis VII in said entry. The shot of Sulu in the command chair was recycled from . Also, in his "Captain's Log" down on Sigma Draconis VI, Kirk refers to it as Sigma Draconis VII. * Scotty is seen wearing the same black utility belt as security when they beam down to the planet, the only other crew who ever wore it. * The score for this episode (by Fred Steiner and recorded on ) was re-used in later episodes during the playback of Kirk's final message in and Kirk's return in the transporter room in the same episode, for example. The battle music from this episode later scored Kirk and Kang's sword fight in . * Westheimer Effects created the unique glaciated planet seen from orbit in this episode. * This episode is lovingly spoofed in an episode of The Wonder Years, as well as being featured in the motion picture . * This episode is referenced in the song "Never You Mind" from the album . * Marj Dusay believed that this was one of the favorite episodes of the fans for many years. She was in for a rude awakening when she began doing convention appearances. * The story for this episode bears striking resemblance to a story called "The Cybernetic Brains" by Raymond F. Jones, published as a novella in Startling Stories (September 1950) and later as a novel by Avalon Books (1962). In Jones's story, scientists are being prematurely killed so that their brains can be connected to a vast computer network that helps maintain the Welfare State. Production Timeline * Story outline by Lee Cronin, . * Teleplay, . * Story outline, . * Filmed in mid July 1968. Remastered Information The remastered version of "Spock's Brain" aired in many North American markets during the weekend of . The episode marked several script-appropriate departures from the original broadcast version. Given the generic design of the original ion starship, it would seem unlikely that Scotty could have recognized its propulsion system just by the hull design. The remastered version thus gives the hull a unique, easily identifiable shape. Image:EymorgStarshipProfile.jpg|The somewhat generic rocket design of the original Image:Eymorg starship remastered.jpg|...and the remastered, visually distinctive design The planet Sigma Draconis VI received a fresh, computer-generated appearance both from orbit and from the surface. In the original orbit shot, the planet appears to have a wide band of ocean peaking out from a less-than-uniform ice cap. In the remastered version, the ice coverage is solid, with only small strips of land present, as the script demands, "at the tropics". Also, the color of the planet from orbit closely matches the color of the land on the surface. Image:SigmaDraconisVI.jpg|The original depiction of Sigma Draconis VI as a watery world with an exaggerated polar ice cap Image:Sigma Draconis VI remastered.jpg|Now, dense ice coverage is broken by small areas of land peeking through at the tropics, as per script On the surface, the landscape has been modified as well. In the original, there was only a slight indication that the action was taking place on a planet that was mostly ice. By contrast, the remastered version makes this more apparent through the use of a new matte painting. http://trekmovie.com/2007/06/09/spocks-brain-screenshots/ Image:SigmaDraconisVISurface.jpg|The original planet surface barely indicates the script's mention of an ice age Image:Sigma Draconis VI surface remastered.jpg|The new surface makes the glacial nature of the planet more profound Video and DVD releases *Original US Betamax release: . * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 32, catalogue number VHR 2384, . * US VHS release: . * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 3.2, . * Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 31, . * As part of the TOS Season 3 DVD collection. Links and References Regular Cast * William Shatner as Kirk * Leonard Nimoy as Spock * DeForest Kelley as McCoy * James Doohan as Scotty * Walter Koenig as Chekov * George Takei as Sulu * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura * Majel Barrett as Chapel Guest Stars * Marj Dusay as Kara * James Daris as "Creature" * Sheila Leighton as Luma Co-Stars * William Blackburn as Hadley (uncredited) * Frank da Vinci as Brent (uncredited) * Roger Holloway as Roger Lemli (uncredited) * Pete Kellett as a Morg guard (uncredited) * Eddie Paskey as Leslie (uncredited) References brain; class M; control bracelet; Controller, the; Eymorg; Eymorg starship; Industrial Scale; ion power; ion propulsion; ion trail; Great Teacher; Morg; neural stimulator; nitrogen; oxygen; pain band; remote control; Richter scale of culture; Romans; Sigma Draconis; Sigma Draconis system; Sigma Draconis III; Sigma Draconis IV; Sigma Draconis VI; sonic separator; tri-laser connector External links * "Spock's Brain" review at The Agony Booth * |next= |lastair= |nextair= |lastair_remastered= |nextair_remastered= }} Category:TOS episodes de:Spocks Gehirn es:Spock's Brain fr:Spock's Brain nl:Spock's Brain